First Anniversary

This is the post I have been waiting to send out since last two weeks ago. It presents a simple recipe which I like very much due to its taste and the endless possibility of fruit decoration. And it expresses how special August is to me.



August is a pleasant month in Bangkok. The rainy season is back and the weather is cool and sometimes windy. After months of heat this is the month most of us here have been waiting for. Fruits are plentiful too, for one I can see starfruit, a particular fruit that is so appealing in sliced form and suitable for cake top decoration. And it just happened that we can also find abundant imported fruits like strawberries (I just love the weird longish shaped Australian strawberries, they are so peculiar and beautiful in their own way....), kiwi fruits and lots of cherries. Just love them all.



August also marks the first anniversary for me and T. It has been a remarkable year in a relationship that seems promising and feels so right. The chemistry is great between us and I could see myself cutting down on activities so I could go back home earlier and be with him. Deep down I just feel so grateful that somehow destiny has led me to him after a long and tiring search.



If you have noticed I also have changed the look of my blog. August is the start of the series of changes I am planning to do for myself. There would be more things featured in this blog and soon enough there would be an official bakeinparis site (I am excited about this, a lot!) and currently thinking about setting up a photography blog, a place where I could pour out my passion for still-life photography. Lots of photos that fall into a non-food category need a platform for display and comment.



And the "Order a Cake" thingy will work soon I am ready with the mechanism for ordering and delivery. So for now, it just sits there quietly and hope you don't mind about it. Cross my finger, it will be activated soon.... However, the cake order is only open to Bangkok customers in yet limited areas. But I guess I need to get started somewhere somehow and it seems fun to fill up my time with someone else's special celebration, don't you think?



FRUIT TART
Makes one 7 inch pie or five 3.5 inch mini pies



1. Crème Patissiere

Ingredients:
- Egg yolks > 3
- Granulated sugar > 60 grams
- All purpose flour > 20 grams
- Evaporated milk> 100ml
- Fresh milk > 150 ml
- Vanilla essence > 1 teaspoon



Method:
- Beat egg yolks and 20 grams of sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Gently fold in all purpose flour. Set aside.
- Mix evaporated milk, fresh milk, 40 grams of sugar and vanilla essence in a saucepan. Bring to boil.
- Once boiled, pour hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture while stirring vigorously with a whisk to avoid eggs from getting cooked.
- When the milk mixture is completely mixed with egg mixture, return the combined mixture into saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Whisk constantly. After boiled, continue cook for 10 minutes more.
- Pour custard into a heatproof bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to cool and refrigerate overnight.
- Beat with electric mixer until smooth before applying to pie.



2.Crust
Prepare: one pie 7 inch pie mould, height 1.5 inch or five 3.5 inch mini pie, height 1 inch

Ingredients:
- All purpose flour > 125 grams
- Salted butter – chop into cubes > 50 grams
- Egg > 1
- Salt > 1/8 teaspoon
- Icing sugar > 50 grams
- Fruits for decoration.



Method:
- Place all purpose flour on table top and make a well in the middle.
- Pour butter, egg, and salt into the well and quickly mix all together until just about lumpy.
- Add egg in the middle and mix to form dough that is holding together. Knead into smooth dough.
- Shape dough into a ball, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 200C.



- Roll out dough into a circle slightly bigger than 10 inch and with 3 mm thickness.
- Press into pie mould. Prick the base with fork. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove paper and beans. Bake for 10 minutes more. Let cool.
Fill with crème patissiere. Decorate with fruits.